[Leica] [IMG] Saving the Western World

[jhnichols at lighttube.net (Jim Nichols)]

Thanks for the historical perspective.  Nice reproductions of the coin.

Jim Nichols
Tullahoma, TN USA

On 5/20/2015 3:11 PM, John Nebel wrote:
> <http://photos.csd.net/athens_s_gi.html>
>
> Tetradrachm 483-480 BC
> O: Athena wearing a crested Corinthian helmet
> R: Owl, olive branch left, ??? right, ? off the flan
>
> By 483 BC, the Athenians had discovered a new, large silver deposit in 
> their Laurion mines.   One foresighted Athenian, Themistokles, 
> persuaded the Athenian assembly that the newly mined silver should be 
> used to pay for expansion of their navy. He knew the Persians were 
> planning an invasion, although he used a local adversary, the 
> Aeginetans as a more immediate and publicly acceptable reason for the 
> naval expansion. As a result of Themistocles's persuasion, the 
> Athenian navy was increased by 200 ships, triremes, three banks of 
> oars, each ship to be manned by a crew of 200.
>
> In 480 BC, under the command of Xerxes, the Great King, an immense 
> Persian army and navy invaded the fiercely independent collection of 
> city-states comprising the Greek world. Cities surrendered, often 
> without a fight, but a few stood fast, allied with the Spartans and 
> Athenians.  A crack contingent of Spartans had been destroyed at 
> Thermopylai and the Persians prepared to invade Athens although the 
> Greek tenacity at Thermopylai had surprised Xerxes. The Athenians 
> panicked, and again Themistokles intervened.  He convinced his fellow 
> Athenians that a Pythian oracle advising them to seek refuge within 
> wooden walls must be interpreted that the Athenians should take refuge 
> in their triremes, ships of wood, which most indeed did.
>
> Herodotus 7.143-4
>
> "But a wall made of wood does farsighted Zeus to Tritogenes (Athena) 
> grant
> Alone and unravaged, to help you and your children.
> Do not await peacefully the horse and the foot,
> The army gigantic that comes from the mainland;
> Withdraw, turn your backs, though someday you still will meet face to 
> face"
>
> Athens was abandoned by its citizens, transported to safety in her 
> ships, soon afterwards invaded and sacked by the Persians.
>
> The Persian navy pursued the Athenian and allied cities' ships, 
> thinking them cornered, and Themistokles intervened yet again, 
> persuading again with trickery, this time that the allied navy must 
> fight the Persians rather than run, ultimately resulting in a decisive 
> Greek naval victory at Salamis. The Persian defeat was viewed 
> personally by Xerxes, watching from a throne on a nearby hilltop. 
> Xerxes fully expected to be entertained by viewing a slaughter of the 
> Greeks, thereby bloodily demonstrating his absolute power. Instead, 
> Xerxes fearing for his life after the naval defeat, fled to Asia 
> leaving behind only part of his army, the remaining men commanded by 
> Mardonius, who, the next spring was killed with much of the remaining 
> Persian force at the decisive infantry battle of Plataia.
>
> The allied navy and its victory at Salamis was the turning point, the 
> Persian invasion had been stopped, the west had been saved from 
> Persian domination. The coin shown is part of the emergency coinage of 
> the Laurion silver used to pay for constructing and manning the 
> Athenians' ships.
>
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